This cotton ikkat from Nallis I bought recently in the most unlikeliest place of all. At Viviana Mall , that Mecca of Mall Hoppers , right down the road from where I stay where I go only when the grandchildren visit ( My 12 year old loves the Global Desi outlet and 10 year old grandson stocks up on his Team India Cricket Tees. ) And this time I was at the Mall with my niece looking for some foot wear she needed and lo behold I see a Nallis and a couple of brilliant Ikkats displayed at the store windows . And like that , just like that all resolve of no buying sarees dissolved away and in a few minutes we were out the mannequins poorer and moi richer by the said Ikkats.

This one was so unusual, vertical , broad stripes in basic red and navy blue the u bleached white giving it a touch of class . My grandchildren will of course wonder why I would want to wear the French flag ….

After the day’s work , the boys here in Calicut had an interesting evening laid out for me. A Football match at the local stadium and not just any match but one of the keenly fought semi finals of the legendary Sait Nagjee Tournament . And the teams , two of the best from the International Clubs playing in the tournament .

Of course I had never heard of this tournament but the guys filled me in on how this was an age old tradition in the city and organised by the Kohzikode Football Association and the pride of the city . And more interestingly , it had been resurrected after a long gap of 20 years or more and the city was all excited about it . That excitement was evident I must say with the crowds vocal and eager in the stands .

Under the brilliant stadium lights and on the almost neon light green grass the clubs from Ukraine and England fought it out .

I texted Appa , who by the way went to engineering college in Calicut and spent five of his most formative years here . He was excited and said he had been to so many of the Sait Nagjee tournament matches while in college . I swear it made me feel really nice and warm all over. I have head him talk so much about his days in REC. Oh , and next time I must make sure I check out those morning film shows he and his friends would sneak off to ..all those A certificate , infamous regional language movies…coincidentally , he is at the REC Calicut Alumni shindig this weekend but in Madras .

And another proof at how small and beautiful our world is, Purnima, my son Vinay’s friend Achal’s mother , sees my post on the game in Face Book and shouts out that the famed Sait Nagjee is her husband’s grandfather !!!

PS Asks one kid at the game anyway , Why are you wearing France colours ? Today it is England and Ukraine !!!!